No Appeal For Ballindalloch Windfarm Plans

Jan 22 2010 by Kaiya Marjoribanks, Stirling Observer Friday

DEVELOPERS won’t appeal the decision to refuse the controversial Ballindalloch windfarm.

Stirling Council’s planning panel had voted unanimously to reject npower renewables’ application for a nine turbine windfarm on the land near Balfron in November.

Planners cited long-term detrimental impact on the amenity of people living nearby and significant adverse impact on the landscape.

But despite the, the developers still had the option of appealing to the Scottish Government to overturn it.

This week, however, the company confirmed it would not be pursuing that option. However it insisted it was for operational reasons and not because it did not think it could win an appeal.

A spokesperson for RWE npower renewables told the Observer: “On this occasion, depsite having a very good chance of success at appeal, following an internal review during which all projects are routinely assesses, it was decided not to proceed.”

Campaigners from EVAG (Endrick Valley Action Group), who fought to halt the windfarm proposal, had previously said they hoped the company would back down gracefully and put the final nail in the coffin of the proposal by not going to appeal.

An EVAG spokesperson said this week: “This has been a long, hard fight but one which ultimately has been worth it.”

Stirling MSP Bruce Crawford welcomed the news, saying: “I am pleased plans for a windfarm at Ballindalloch have been dropped and that speculation on this matter is now at an end.

“I went on record when plans were being considered to say that while I am a supporter of windfarms they must be sited in appropriate locations that do not diminish an area’s scenic character.

“The scale of the proposed development caused me to have serious reservations about this particular application.

“I remain a keen supporter of renewable energy schemes including windfarms, provided they are located in areas where their visual impact is not overly severe.”